15 kilometres (Freestyle), Men

The defending champion and 2009 World Champion, Estonia’s Andrus Veerpalu, did not contest the event, starting only in the 50 km in Vancouver. This likely left Lukáš Bauer (CZE) as the favorite. Bauer was leading the 2009-10 World Cup, had won the distance and overall World Cup in 2007-08, and was runner-up to Veerpalu in the 15 km at the 2009 Worlds. With skiers setting off at 30 second intervals, Maurice Manificat (FRA) took an early lead in the competition, leading at the first two intermediate markers, and would eventually finish sixth with a time of 34:27.4. Pietro Piller Cottrer (ITA), who had won the test event at the course some 12 months earlier, had been quoted as saying that the course was too easy, and as he skied into a lead with a time of 34:00.9, it looked as though he may win gold. However, out on the course Dario Cologna (SUI), who had won the 2009 Tour de Ski, was the leader at the final check point and took the lead with a time of 33:36.3, a time which would easily hold up for the gold medal, giving Switzerland its first ever gold in cross-country skiing. Bauer followed home in a time of 34:12.0 to take the bronze medal, narrowly defeating Marcus Hellner (SWE) who was always close to a medal spot on the course, but just faded at the end to finish 1.5 seconds behind Bauer. He would later win a pursuit gold in Vancouver. Finishing in 94th place was Roberto Carcelén, the first ever Winter Olympian from Peru.